There’s no truth in the rumor that Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wolf was actually seen shoveling snow onto the Metrodome on Saturday, which led to its inflatable roof tearing and tons of snow plummeting onto the field. However, Wolf probably had a difficult time hiding a smile when he heard the news.
Wolf wants a news stadium for his football team and some public dollars to help build it. The team is in the final year of its lease at the Metrodome, and is feverishly pushing Minnesota’s legislature to approve a tax-financed deal.
Wolf wants the new stadium to create new revenue. Now he has the striking video of the roof collapse to reinforce his argument. Safety is suddenly an issue, not just dollars. Wolf recently was wined and dined by a business group that wants to bring an NFL team back to Los Angeles. He’s playing hardball. Or maybe I should call it snowball.
Meanwhile, in St. Louis, a suspiciously quiet Stan Kroenke hasn’t had much to say about the St. Louis Rams since he took over ownership earlier this fall. I’ve said for two years that the new owner of the Rams–whomever it turned out to be–would take advantage of the crazy lease deal that guarantees that the team will play in one of the NFL’s top-tier stadiums. If that clause is not fulfilled, the team could be on the move.
Kroenke will certainly announce the need for a new stadium, probably in the next year. Even though he’s a multi-billionaire, he’ll want public aid to construct the facility. As it is, he either gets public cash or he takes his Wal-Mart projects elsewhere.
There’s always the threat that L.A.’s new team could be its old team–the Rams. Kroenke has that lease in his favor and the interest of several L.A. groups, including one with Earvin “Magic” Johnson, that want to bring football back. Like Wolf, he could soon be threatening to bring down the house on pro football in this city.
